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The sun was not yet up as Slade slipped out of the bedroom to head for the kitchen. Addie was still asleep and he was confident that at the early hour none of the boys would be up this early either. He would have the manor to himself for at least an hour when the rising sun would rouse his wife.
The kitchen was dark and he flipped on the light as he made his way to the cabinet to retrieve the bag of ground coffee and a filter from the shelf. He measured the dark powdered bean into the filter and filled the pot with water. While the coffee brewed he fixed a bowl of cereal and carried it to the kitchen table.
To his slight surprise, there was an empty coffee mug sitting on top of a handmade card. He picked up the mug and turned it so he could see what was printed on the side of it. “#1 Dad!” Slade chuckled softly as he set the mug and his cereal back on the table and picked up the card. He recognized Joey's budding artistic talent immediately. The card was from Joey, the mug was from Grant... nothing from Dick. He picked the mug back up and moved to the sink to rinse it out. The lack of a father's day gift from his youngest didn't surprise him. Dick was six and holidays such as this were hard for the child because they served to remind the little boy of the parents he had lost.
Slade pulled a paper towel off the roll and methodically wiped out the inside of the mug. He could wait, trying to push an issue with an emotionally damaged six-year-old would get him nowhere. Dick would come around when he was ready to.
“Daddy?” The small nervous voice made him turn and he waved Dick into the kitchen when he saw the child hovering in the archway. The boy hesitated and Slade wondered why his youngest was awake even as he noted the uncertainty that was evident in each of the boy's movements.
“Dick?” His son suddenly bolted across the kitchen and Slade set the mug down and braced himself as Dick barreled into his leg. The kid's arms went tight around him and Slade reached down to brush his hand through Dick's soft black hair. Dick clung to him for a second, hugging him tight, before reluctantly letting go and taking a step back. “What's wrong Dick?” The child's eyes were on the floor and Slade could see his son worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.
Something clearly bothered the boy but Slade wasn't sure what it was. The usual signs that would indicate a nightmare didn't seem to be present and Dick was almost skittish. Dick suddenly held his arms up and Slade immediately lifted the boy off the floor. He settled Dick against his hip and expected him to relax. When it didn't happen he focused his attention on the boy's face.
“Dad I...” Dick trailed off and Slade waited, sensing that whatever Dick wanted to say was important and that if he pushed then Dick might lose his nerve. The child glanced around the kitchen as though he expected someone to be listening to him and didn't seem any more confident when he saw that they were alone. Slade didn't know what to expect when Dick's arm hooked around his neck and the child pulled himself high enough to cup his free hand around his ear. Dick leaned closer and Slade balanced the boy on his arm to give his son a little more height. He could feel Dick's lips hovering just above his ear and a small, proud smile spread across his face as Dick started whispering to him.
Dick pulled back from him when he had finished and Slade could see the child's teeth worrying his lip as he waited for a response. Slade shifted the boy off his hip and into a proper hug before dropping to one knee so he could set Dick back on the floor. Dick tried to move away from him but Slade caught his arm and drew him closer. He pressed the side of his hand against Dick's cheek and leaned forward to whisper his own words against the boy's ear.
“I know you do.” A small bright smile spread across Dick's face and the boy nodded, clearly relieved, and happy with the response. Dick tried to stifle a yawn and Slade chuckled softly as he turned the boy in the direction of the kitchen's exit. “Now go back to bed. I don't want to see you up for at least a couple of hours.” Dick nodded and Slade gave him a gentle push. The child crossed the kitchen on silent feet and Slade waited until he heard the creak of the stairs before standing and picking up Grant's mug.
Addie came downstairs half an hour later to find him nursing his second cup of coffee as he watched the sunrise along the Savanna's horizon. There was a pleased 'cat who ate the canary' smile on his face as he stood to greet her and she was pleasantly surprised when he pulled her to him and kissed her. She hadn't expected the boys' gifts to put him in quite such a good mood.
“Happy Father's day.” The smile he gave her as she spoke was warm, bright, and for the first time in a long time fully reached the farthest depths of his normally cold blue eyes.
“Thank you.” Addie was left wondering exactly what had happened to put him in such a good mood as he pulled her into a second, longer kiss. “I'm a lucky man Addie. Don't ever let me screw it up.” She nodded, happy that he was happy, and leaned against his chest as his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
“I won't.” He nodded once and Addie followed his gaze back to the horizon to watch as soft golden light rose over the African grasslands.